LAS CRUCES, New Mexico -- It's down to four candidates for president of New Mexico State University after former Illinois chancellor Richard Herman withdrew from consideration.

Herman resigned his post as chancellor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign last month amid an admissions scandal in which the university was accused of giving special attention to politically connected candidates.

According to a news release, Herman said his decision to withdraw is based on other obligations that will prevent him from continuing as a candidate for president of the Las Cruces school.

NMSU Board of Regents Chairman Blake Curtis said a pool of fully qualified candidates for university president remains. Curtis said the Board of Regents plans to announce the new school president Nov. 19.

The search will continue with the four remaining candidates:

Barbara Couture, D.A., Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Professor of English, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

James Oblinger, Ph.D., Professor, recently Chancellor, North Carolina State University.

Michael Ortiz, Ph.D., President, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Lisa Rossbacher, Ph.D., President, Southern Polytechnic State

All of the finalists have visited NMSU for interviews, forums and tours except Oblinger, whose visit is scheduled for Nov. 15-17.